Alina Engibaryan

An intimate voice full of valiant whims, Alina Engibaryan is a novel vocalist within a modern improvisational tradition. She has passionately developed a sensibility that enables her to communicate emotions instantly to the audience and her fellow musicians. With both a technical mastery and an audacious attitude, Alina is a live experience to be heard.

In 2012, She was a finalist in the Prinses Christina Jazz Concours in Amsterdam, one of the largest jazz competitions in the country. The following year Alina was a finalist in the Dutch Vocal Competition, establishing her prowess in the European jazz scene.

Despite her young age, Alina has already recorded and performed all over Europe. She can be heard on her debut 2011 album When The Sun Rises with the “Aram Rustumyants Trio,” and on the Kim Nazaretov Municipal Big Band record.

In 2009, Engibaryan was involved in several international Big-Band projects, including the East-West European Jazz Big Band where she was a soloist, and toured with them throughout Germany, Serbia, and the Czech Republic. Her present status is best reflected from the festivals and tours she performed in alongside today's jazz greats. These include performances at the Novi Sad Jazz Festival alongside Brad Meldhau, Charlie Hunter, and Marcus Miller, and an Eastern European tour alongside Dennis Rowland, Jerry Bergonzi and Wycleff Gordon.

Alina has been singing all her life and comes from a musical family, her grandfather being the world famous Russian jazz drummer Nicholay Goncharov. She began singing as early as two years old, and graduated from the highly renowned Kim Nazaretov Music School in Rostov with the highest marks possible. At age 18, Alina moved and began studying jazz vocals in the Netherlands with Jd Walter, Francien van Tuinen and Ruben Hein.

Currently, Alina is finishing her bachelor's in vocal performance at the Prince Claus Conservatory. She performs regularly around the Netherlands with her own quartet and several side projects. Her future and present ambition is to explore compositional possibilities and arrangements that enhance and broaden her style.

Samvel Sarkisyan

Samvel Sarkisyan, an 18 year old drumming prodigy from Rostov, is a musician who attacks the stage with a youthful power, concurrent with a calm composure like that of a jazz veteran. While Samvel mostly finds himself within a modern bebop environment, this dynamic powerhouse can groove beyond all measure in all contexts. Whether he be blowing you away in one of his poly-rhythmic bombastic solos, or tipping the ride with a patient finesse, Samvel performs music, building tenacious tension with unpredictable release.

Born in 1995, Samvel started playing classical piano at age 5, and a few years he discovered drums were his passion. While studying at the highly renowned Kim Nazaretov Music School in Russia, Samvel toured with the K.N. Children's Big Band for 8 years. As a percussionist of the East-West European Jazz Orchestra, he also performed in Germany and the Czech Republic with living legends ave Liebman, Peter Beets and Dennis Rowland. In 2009, He was awarded first prize at the “Drummers of Tomorrow” competition in Russia, showcasing his raw unbelievable talent.

Since then, Sarkisyan has continued to play and tour extensively while studying at the Prince Clause Conservatory with Gene Jackson and Steve Altenburg. His latest shows include several venues in Groningen with Alex Sipiagin, Jazztime at the Amphion opening for Candy Dulfer, and the 10th annual Jubilee International Jazz Festival with Wycliffe Gordon and Joris Teepe.

Samvel is now studying towards a bachelor in jazz performance from the Prince Clause Conservatory. The prevailing groups he is a part of are the “Yoonmi Choi Trio,” “ASL,” and the “Alina Engibaryan Quartet.” He hopes to be living and studying in New York City in the years to come.

Pawel Klin

With an unforgettable clear and brilliant tone, Pawel Klin is a jazz guitarist hailing from Poland who makes the guitar speak significantly while blending seamlessly. Influences from John Abercrombie and the ECM style are recognized immediately in Pawel’s playing, but with a more peaceful and soulful approach. From years of dedicated wisdom, every note Pawel plays becomes a piece of care and grace.

In 2011, Klin was awarded the Doodrecht Jazz Prijs, proving his jazz chops to the European jazz scene. That same year, his quartet were finalists in the European Jazz Contest in Italy. Most recently, he was the prize winner of the 2012 Tarnów Azoty Jazz Contest in Poland.

Pawel performed alongside acts such Bobby Watson and The Yellowjackets at the 2013 Silesian Jazz Festival. He also performed a contemporary classical piece with the Simfonia Varsovia during the 2010 Warsaws Autumn Festival, showcasing his diverse capabilities. No matter where he goes, Pawel’s voice on guitar is loved and highly renowned.

Pawel began this musical life like many jazz greats, in the church choir. He was a part of the University of Wroclaw Academic Choir, touring around the United States and Europe as a young man. He later decided to learn guitar from Artur Lesicki in Poland, who nurtured his passion for the instrument. Around this time, Pawel became a part of the Marzena Cybulka Quintet and formed his Pawel Klin Quartet, which both tour and record extensively in Poland to this day.

Klin has received a bachelors in jazz performance from Prince Clause Conservatory in Groningen, Netherlands, where he now resides. He is currently studying Renaissance Counterpoint for his masters at Prince Clause and is blending it with his jazz and church upbringings.

Sergej Avanesov

Sergej Avanesov is a vibrant young saxophonist from Rostov, who is known for consistently discovering and inventing fresh sounds through modern improvised music. Following in the footsteps of today's legends such as Joshua Redman or Mark Turner, Sergej innovates the saxophone by constantly staying receptive and reactive, while still communicating concise heart warming melodies that stick to your soul.

Avanesov started to play the tenor saxophone at the age of 9, where he studied in the highly renowned Kim Nazeratov Music School in Russia. Once graduated, he moved abroad to the Netherlands where he studies with Don Braden at the Prince Clause Conservatory.

Since then, Sergej has been recording and performing all over the Netherlands with groups such as The Stage Band and their new album Journey To The Heart, and Want 2 Swing with a new album out this June. He also records and performs regularly with his trio “ASL.”

In Groningen, his latest performances include opening for acts like “Dave Douglas Quintet” at the Oosterport, and playing with Robin Eubanks and Yuri Honing for the Oranje Nassau Festival. Sergej has also played on stages around the world, including Something Jazz Club NYC.

Currently Sergej is heavily focused on ASL, where they play his original compositions and jazz standards in new and improvised ways. This year he will graduate with a bachelor's in tenor saxophone performance from Prince Clause Conservatory and start his masters in performance at Queen's College in New York City.

Tyler Luppi

Bassist - Composer

Tyler Luppi had his first musical
lessons for piano from his grandmother in North Haven, Connecticut at
age 8. Later, he and his family moved to Woodstock, Connecticut where
he picked up electric bass at age 13 and received lessons from Jim
Perry for bass and piano.

While attending Woodstock Academy,
Tyler was the Connecticut Music Educators Association Eastern
Regional Jazz Bassist at age 17., where he found a true passion for
jazz music from the inspirational playing of his fellow musicians and
instructors. Months later, full of focus and drive, he picked up the
acoustic bass and attended the Litchfield Jazz Camp, where he
received his first lessons in jazz. From 2009-2010, he was awarded
the CMEA Eastern Regional Jazz Bassist title again, this time on
acoustic bass, received the soloist award for his ensemble at the
Berklee High School Jazz Festival, graduated from Woodstock Academy,
and began his enrollment at the University of Connecticut. studying
classical and jazz bass with Gregg August.

Since then, Tyler has performed as a
leader and a sideman in several ensembles, including his jazz
recording debut in 2011 with the “Orice Jenkins Trio” on the
album Journals of a Teenage Chormaticist.

During his two years of study at the
University of Connecticut, Tyler has learned his fundamentals of the
jazz language from Earl MacDonald, Gregg August, and John Mastroianni
in many unique classes and ensembles.

Tyler was a residential assistant, and
most recently a bass ringer, at the Litchfield Jazz Camp from
2009-2011. Through this experience, he worked with and learned from
jazz greats such as Avery Sharpe, Junior Mance, Charlie Persip, Joris
Teepe, Dave Brubeck, Matt Wilson, Pat Martino, Helen Sung, Claudio
Roditi and countless others. This is also where he met Joris Teepe,
who is his primary teacher today.

Now, Tyler performs regularly and lives
in Groningen, Netherlands, studying at the Prince Claus Conservatoire
with Joris Teepe and several other New York musicians in the “New
York comes to Groningen” jazz bachelors program. He is currently
working on several projects including the “Sergej Avenesov Quartet”
and the “Yoonmi Choi Trio.”